On the Run
by MirandaBasilisk
Summary: Hawke's adventures don't end at Kirkwall. Follow her and her companions as they flee the city in search of a safe haven for mages. [Takes place at the end of Dragon Age II. Spoilers if you haven't finished the game.] Please review! Thanks. :)
1. Chapter 1 - After the Battle

Kimberly Hawke stood looking into the fire. Her black hair shimmered in the firelight, still drying from the bath she took earlier. Fenris came up behind her and wrapped his arms around her. The tall elf was dressed in silk finery that Kimberly had given him when he moved in. He rested his chin on her shoulder and his white hair fell over one eye.

"I never thought I would wear this, but it is surprisingly comfortable."

"Don't get used to it," she replied, sharper than she intended.

Fenris instantly let go and backed away, a wary look in his eye. "What is that supposed to mean?"

She spun around to face him. Her blue eyes met his green. "We just killed Meridith. The templars will be after us."

Fenris relaxed, realizing this wasn't a threat to their relationship. "True. Perhaps we should leave tonight."

"Or before dawn. I want to pack a few things and I desperately need some sleep."

"Are you sure the delay is wise?"

Tears prickled her eyes. "No. I'm not sure of anything now." She turned away from him and began to pace. Her hands moved with her words, speaking a language all their own, emphasizing the right word at the right time. "I worked so hard for everything. I wanted to clean up this city. And I did, and made plenty of gold to go with it. Now all is lost. My sister, my mother…. I'll never see Carver again." Tears began to fall down her cheeks. "I have a comfortable, yet overly large house. But Bodhan's given notice and I couldn't keep the place up by myself even if we could stay here." She shook her head. "There will be a war. Anders saw to that." She nearly spat the mage's name.

"Good riddance to Anders," Fenris growled.

She threw her hands up in the air, then put them on the sides of her head. "Please don't start in on the subject of Anders, I'm not ready to deal with that now."

"He's dead, Kimberly."

"Yes, by my hand!" She shouted. "Maker forgive me!"

"You meted out justice. That is all."

Kimberly turned and faced the elf. She shook her head as tears streamed down her face. "No, I don't want to talk about Anders now."

"I will be happy if I never hear his name again."

"Fine! Then it won't be you that I talk to about him!"

"Why must you always make things so difficult?"

"Why must you?" She stood defiantly with her hands on her hips. This infuriating elf would be the death of her, just as he had claimed once that she would be the death of him. They loved with great depth but fought just as deeply. They stared at each other, neither one blinking. Finally, she let out a breath and dropped her arms. Fenris took a step toward her but stopped as she shook her head. The clock on the mantle chimed ten times.

"So do we leave tonight or in the morning?" Fenris asked neutrally. He looked out of place without his armor, Kimberly noticed, but she also knew the silk was soothing against his tattoos.

"I don't know. I wish Isabela hadn't left us. She could have at least sailed us out of this blasted city."

"Isabela left three years ago."

"I know. It doesn't mean I don't miss her company. She was damned handy with a blade."

Fenris began to prowl the room. "I say we leave tonight. Gather what you need."

Kimberly rubbed her temples. She was so tired. The battle with Meridith had drained her. Using so much magic was exhausting. She could only imagine what Anders went through every day, all day at his clinic. No, she wouldn't think of Anders now. It was not the time. She sat down on the edge of the bed. All she wanted was sleep.

Suddenly, she heard a commotion downstairs. Kimberly rushed out to the balcony overlooking the great room to see Carver pushing past Bodhan. "Kim! Kim! Are you all right?"

She met him on the stairs, embracing her little brother. "I'm fine, Carver."

"You must get out of the city. The templars have sent for reinforcements from Ferelden."

"What about you? You fought with us."

He shook his head. "Cullen stood with me against Meridith and he will stand with me now. I'll be fine."

Carver took her hand and opened it, pressing a few coins into her palm. "There's a ship leaving tomorrow morning for Antivan City."

"Antiva isn't the safest place in Thedas."

"You could go to the Tevinter Imperium. As a mage you would be safe there."

"No," came a voice from the balcony. Fenris strode forward, fully dressed in his armor with his sword strapped to his back.

Carver glared at the elf. "Who are you?"

Kimberly put her hand on Carver's. "It's all right. Where he goes, I go. And we will not go to the Tevinter Imperium. Elves are kept as slaves there. Nor will we go back to Fereldan."

The young templar turned to his sister. He searched her face, memorizing it in case he never saw her again. "Is this what you truly want?"

She smiled. Then she brushed his hair out of his eyes, the way mother used to do. "Yes, it is. Now the house is yours. Bodhan will make sure you get the key after we leave." Kimberly stifled a yawn. "How much time do you think we have?"

Carver shook his head. "No one will move against you yet, so catch a few hours of sleep. Then take the cellar entrance to Darktown. The sewers run out of the city."

"I know. Unfortunately."

The young man looked up to the balcony once more. He had seen the tall, lean elf in his sister's company before but they had not been introduced. And he never would have guessed they were a couple. "Can I at least know your name?"

"I am called Fenris."

"Well, Fenris, take care of my sister." The elf only nodded once in reply.

Turning his attention back to Kimberly, Carver embraced her again and kissed her cheek. "May the Maker watch over you, Sister."

"And may the Maker watch over you too, little brother."

Carver made his way out of the house. Bodhan began making apologies for the interruption as Kimberly walked down the stairs. She held up her hand. "We are leaving in the morning. I want you to make sure my brother gets the key to the house. Anything that isn't yours, belongs to him. She pressed Carver's few coins into his palm. Keep this." She turned to leave when she thought of something else. "Go to Varric at the Hanged Man. Tell him it's time to leave and to meet us at the sewer entrance before dawn. He'll know which one. Go now, and speak to him yourself. I trust no one else."

"Yes Messier."

"And Bodhan?" She paused while the bearded dwarf turned back to her. "It's been an honor having you in our home."

"The honor has been all mine," he replied with a bow before leaving for the Hanged Man.

Kimberly walked back up the stairs and took Fenris' hand, pulling him into the bedroom. "This may be our last night with a proper bed for a while. Let's make the most of it. I have most everything packed anyway."

When he started to protest, she raised up on her toes and silenced him with a kiss. "No, we will make the best of it."


	2. Chapter 2 - Escape

Dawn came early. Kimberly and Fenris slipped out of the back way to the mansion that came out near Anders' clinic. The light was turned off now and always would be - and it was her fault. No, it was Anders' fault. He created this mess, she had best learn to accept it. The feel of the dagger in her hand sliding into Anders' back was as real to her now as it had been the day before. Kimberly wondered how much time it would take to ease this memory.

Varric and Merill were at the entrance when Hawke and Fenris arrived. "Thought I would bring Daisy along. She needs some fresh air."

"It's probably not safe for any mage in the city right now, especially apostates," Kimberly replied. She looked at each of her companions in turn. So few of them now. Aveline had gone back to the guard, and no one knew where Sebastian went. She sighed. "First things first, we need to decide where we are going."

"I thought you'd have that figured out by now, Hawke."

"There's more than one way out of the city, Varric. We could flee to the hills or we could take a ship."

"Ships are expensive." Varric had that warning look about him.

"I still have some money."

"There will be templars watching the docks," added Fenris.

Kimberly turned to look at the elf. "My brother suggested a ship to Antiva."

"All the more reason not to take that route."

"Are you implying that my brother would set me up?" Anger laced her tone.

"He is a templar. He could do so without knowing it."

Kimberly glared at Fenris, but he didn't even glower back. His face remained impassive which was even more infuriating. Merrill broke the tension. "For two people in love, you sure do fight a lot."

Fenris shot Merrill a furious look. "I've told you before…" he growled, but then stopped. "Never mind." Fenris couldn't even contemplate the word love. It was foreign and incomprehensible to him, but he did know how he felt about Hawke even when she riled him. He would rather fight with her every day than to spend a day apart. Was this love? Maybe, but he would have to think on it more and now was not the time.

Varric raised his hand, signaling for everyone's attention. "Back to the problem at hand. We're gaining daylight. Ship or shore?"

"I vote for the mountains," chirped Merrill.

"I too think the mountains would be safer," offered Fenris.

Kimberly looked at Varric. "It's up to you, Hawke," he replied to her unspoken question.

"Very well, we'll go to Sundermount. There are plenty of caves along the mountains. And it will save the coin. We'll have to take the sewers here so hold your nose." After the words left her mouth she realized they were the same words that Anders had used when they went looking for Sela Petrae. Her new robes were going to get all filthy. Once they were out into the wilds, she could change into her champion's garb until these were cleaned. Maybe she should have never bought them, then she would have had enough money to take them all away on a ship to anywhere.

The sewers were vile. Refuse and excrement was everywhere and it seemed to take an eternity to reach the exit, which was dangerously near the docks. Had they chosen the wrong path? Varric stepped up to her. "Let me check it out." He crept forward to the exit, looked around for a bit then returned. "Unless you want the ship option, we'll have to go back and take a different path. From the looks of the docks, we may have missed out on Antiva anyway."

"I told you we should have left last night," Fenris grumbled so that only she could hear. Kimberly chose to ignore him. They doubled back a ways and then Varric climbed out of the sewers. He held up his hand for the rest of us to wait. He came back several long minutes later. "It looks like the way is clear for now and if that changes, we can always kill anything in our way," he said with a wink.

Kimberly climbed up next to him followed by the others. After several minutes she said, "Wait, isn't this the route we took to bring the Quanari mage out of the city?"

"One and the same, Hawke. It should drop us out just north of the docks. I'm afraid it's full daylight now, so we've lost that advantage but we should still be able to make some distance."

"Or we could stay here and wait for nightfall."

"Well, I always have a deck of cards on me. We could play Wicked Grace."

"Either way we are trying to avoid templar and guard patrols. The guards aren't usually patrolling along the coast at night."

"We can take the direct path too," Merrill added. "The moon is nearly full so we will have plenty of light. And the clan has probably moved on." The last was said with so much sadness that Kimberly put her hand on Merrill's shoulder to support the elf.

Returning to the problem at hand, Hawke groaned inwardly. "Let's get closer to the exit so we can watch for sundown."

They found an out of the way corner and sat down to play Wicked Grace. Hawke backed out of it early on, not feeling all that interested in the game. She leaned her head against the wall and closed her eyes, resting while the others continued to play, absently petting her Mabari's ears. She wish she had stayed in bed this morning, templars or no. She dozed lightly without realizing it. After a while, Fenris came over and sat down next to her. "Done already?" she asked.

"I ran out of money."

"You don't have any money."

"Okay, I ran out of your money."

She grinned at him. Kimberly could never stay mad at Fenris for very long. "How much do I owe Varric now?"

"Ten sovereigns. I thought I should stop at that."

"I appreciate it."

Fenris extended his long legs. "Put your head in my lap and rest, Hawke."

She made a face. "But your feet stink."

"So do yours."

"Point taken."

She lay down in his lap, but she wasn't very comfortable. However, that changed once he began to stroke her hair. His touch was light and loving, even if the word love did not exist for him. She knew deep down inside he loved her and someday he would say it.

Fenris woke Kimberly once Varric determined it was safe to move. She had a crick in her neck, but Merrill was kind enough to rub it away. Fenris would have had to remove his gloves and she knew he wasn't going to do that, not when his warrior senses were on alert.

They exited the passageway just as the last rays of the sun were peaking over the horizon. The coast was clear and they began to pick their way up the hills towards Sundermount. Merrill lead the way with Varric behind her, and Fenris provided the rear guard. No one spoke the entire trip, which was surprising. Without taking their usual trail, it took them until nearly dawn to reach their goal. The clan had indeed moved on. The group decided to stay in the cavern where they fought the vartrell. As the only one to sleep the day before, Hawke took up watch. It was a quiet watch. In fact, it was a quiet for a few days.


	3. Chapter 3 - Anders

Fenris crossed his arms and looked moody. Maybe because he was moody. Hawke had barely spoken to him all day. She seemed distracted and only interested in talking with Varric. He stood far enough away from them that he couldn't hear their words but he suspected he knew what they were talking about. Anders. She couldn't forgive herself for killing Anders, even though it was the right thing to do. And she couldn't talk to him about it because 'he didn't understand.' Of course he didn't. Anders should have been killed years before he caused all this trouble and Fenris would have done it if not for Hawke. She had been friends with the mage, perhaps because they were both apostates. Mages. Fenris despised them even though he cared for Hawke.

"You look thoughtful," came a cheery voice next to him. Another mage. Fenris didn't even bother to look at Merrill. He didn't reply to her either.

The younger elf frowned. "Cat got your tongue, Fenris?"

"What do you want, _mage_?" His voice was nearly a growl.

"They've been talking for a long time and you've been staring at them the whole time with this frown on your face. Do you know what they are talking about?"

"Yes."

"Oh. Could you tell me? I don't want to interrupt. It looks serious."

"Anders," Fenris snarled.

"Oh," Merrill replied simply. "She probably feels bad. I know I would. But I wouldn't have killed him."

"He deserved to die."

Merrill gasped. "So this is why she's talking to Varric and not you. I understand."

"Good. Then would you leave me alone?"

"That's your problem, Fenris. You are alone too much of the time." She turned and walked away before he could reply.

"I still can't believe I did it, Varric. I took his life."

"You've taken many lives Hawke."

"Yes, but they were all trying to kill me. And they weren't… they weren't…" her voice trailed off as she choked back a sob. Tears formed in her eyes and slid down her cheeks. Varric sat quietly waiting for her to go on. "My friend." Kimberly desperately tried to hold herself together but she was losing the battle. "We were both apostates, hiding from the Circle. Fighting for the freedom of mages. I thought we had a chance. Meridith… she was going too far. Even King Alistair said as much. If he had been able to help us…" She shook her head. "No, King Alistair was right - there was nothing he could have done to help us. This isn't Ferelden."

Thinking of Ferelden made her think of her childhood home and this brought on a fresh wave of tears. Memories of Lothering, of Bethany's death, of their long struggle to survive just to reach Kirkwall, a year of mercenary work, and all the things that led up to where she was now. Running for her life with two friends and the man she loved, but mourning the loss of one she very nearly loved. She could close her eyes and see Anders' face - stubble on his chin, his blond hair tied back. At one time she had wanted to untie that knot and run her fingers through his hair, but that was a very long time ago. Ever since she and Fenris… well, it wasn't the same.

Anders had become even more of a recluse in the past three years. Seeing templars everywhere, even if they weren't there. She offered to let him live in the basement of her mansion if he thought that would be safer than the clinic but he rejected the idea. She thought he may have seen more in their relationship than there was and perhaps he was afraid to be that close to her. She didn't know what went on inside his head. Only that he saw her as a champion for the cause of mage freedom. And maybe she was but not enough to kill the Grand Cleric for it. Not enough to blow up the Chantry and start a war. No, not that much.

All of these thoughts running through her head brought on a fresh wave of tears. "Varric, he was your friend too. Would you have done it?"

Varric looked thoughtful for a time, staring off into the rock filled cavern. At least Kimberly thought he did, what she could see of his face through her tears. When he spoke, his voice was sincere, no trace of the typical snarky dwarf. "I don't know, Hawke. I wasn't involved in the mage war like you two were. What Blondie did was wrong. He went too far, just as Meridith went too far, and Orsino too for that matter. There were two kinds of crazy going on - mage and templar - and I didn't get involved. It wasn't my fight."

"But would you have killed him?"

"If it were me or if I were you?"

She shook her head. Now he was just confusing her. "Either. Both."

"I probably would have let him live. But this wasn't my fight."

Kimberly hung her head. "So I did the wrong thing."

"I'm not saying that, Hawke. You did the right thing for you."

She suddenly turned defensive and angry. "How can you say that? When a man I really cared for is dead by my hand?"

"His actions have torn apart your world. Do you really think mages and templars can come together in peace now?"

Her tears dried as anger flooded her veins. "He lied to me. There was no potion. He blackmailed me and coerced me into helping him plant that bomb. He used me. That isn't how you treat a friend."

"True."

Kimberly clenched her fists into balls. "I am so angry with him. And I am angry with myself. For killing him, for allowing him to use me, for not stopping him when I saw he was going too far. Anders needed help. I couldn't help him. I failed him."

"Don't blame yourself for his actions, Hawke. You can't fix another person."

"If I had known, I would have stopped him."

"Which is why he didn't tell you. Besides, could you have stopped him?"

"I would have tried."

"I think Blondie was beyond even you, Hawke. He's either gone to the Maker or he's lost in Oblivion. Nothing you say or do now can bring him back. Guilt won't bring him back. You need to go on with your life. There's an elf who needs you. Two, if you count Merrill. Look to the future, Hawke. Blondie would want that."

"The future." She leaned over and put her head on Varric's shoulder. He responded by rubbing her back.

Uncomfortable with emotions himself, Varric pulled his hand back. "Speaking of the future, there's a scowling elf against the wall who's been watching us for the last hour. I'd hate for him to get the wrong idea."


	4. Chapter 4 - Guilt

Fenris stabbed his handmade spear into the stream but missed the fish. He had been at this all morning and had missed all the fish he tried for. The elf cursed. No fish for dinner. It wasn't like him to be this sloppy. With a roar, his tattoos flashed and he stabbed the dirt bottom of the stream with his spear, sinking it deep within the creek bed until it met stone and cracked. He had to stop this brooding, as Varric would call it. He knew how to catch fish with a spear; the Fog Warriors had taught him. But his concentration was gone, wrapped up in thoughts of Hawke.

She wasn't talking to him. She wasn't angry with him, at least she said she wasn't, she just didn't seem to have anything to say. She was cordial, they ate together and she smiled at him, but that smile did not light her eyes. Last night while he was sitting by the fire, she knelt beside him and they sat quietly for some time.

"Have I offended you?" he asked.

She turned her blue gaze upon him. "No."

"Are you angry with me?"

She shook her head. "No."

"Then why are you so quiet?"

She studied his face for a long moment, then brushed his hair out of his eyes. He grasped her wrist but she twisted away from him. "I can't," is all she said before rising and walking away.

They hadn't been intimate since the last night at the mansion. Nothing had been the same out in the wild. Ever since she talked with Varric, she couldn't seem to hold more than a simple conversation. It terrified him. He couldn't live without her. He knew that. She knew that. He'd told her. But he couldn't live with her silence either. If only she would talk to him. Yell at him, even. He didn't care which at this point.

Suddenly Fenris heard trudging steps behind him. He whisked his sword around ready to confront any enemy, but it was only Varric.

"Woah!" The startled dwarf took a step back.

Fenris put his sword away.

"Are you trying to scare the fish to death?"

"No." The elf reached down and pulled on the broken piece of wood that used to be a spear. He tossed it towards the bank. "I need to make a new spear."

"Bianca and I caught some rabbits for dinner tonight." Varric lifted a stick with rabbit corpses tied to it as an indication of his success. "I was thinking we might try for a deer tomorrow. Between the two of us, we should be able to take one down."

Fenris stared at the water as it swirled past his feet. A fish came up and nibbled at his toe. He contemplated reaching into the water and grabbing it, but made no move to do so.

After several long moments of silence, Varric turned to leave. "Let me know what you think."

"Does she talk to you?"

The dwarf turned around. "Who? Hawke?"

"Of course, Hawke," Fenris chided.

"Nothing out of the ordinary. Not since we talked about…"

"_Him_."

"Oh come on, Fenris, you can't be jealous of someone who's dead."

"Can I not?" Fenris roared. "All she thinks about is her guilt and she won't move past it. You're the only one she talks to about it."

Varric held up his hands. "Don't be jealous of me either. It was only the one time. I told her she needed to move on but I think she needs time."

Fenris cursed again, this time in Qunlat.

"Maybe she needs you to talk to her."

The elf shook his head. "She says she can't talk to me."

"No, she can't talk to you but maybe _you_ can talk to _her_," Varric gestured with his hands. "Don't you have any regrets you could share?"

"She's heard all my stories."

Varric shrugged, then slung the rabbit corpses over his shoulder. "Maybe she needs to hear them again. I know she needs you, even if she won't say it out loud. Just don't mention Blondie." The dwarf turned and walked back in the direction of the cave, leaving Fenris to contemplate his words - and the fish nibbling at his toes.

After a dinner of rabbit stew, Kimberly made polite conversation before heading off to her own corner of the cave. She had thought ahead and packed a small bedroll, but she was the only one who had. The others had to suffer with the hard packed ground.

Fenris followed her to the bedroll. He was so quiet, that she hadn't heard him come up behind her. She jumped at the sound of his voice. Rexen, her hound, was curled up at the foot of her bedroll. The dog lifted his head at the sound of Fenris' voice, then laid it back down.

"I would speak with you," he said simply.

"Oh Fenris, I told you last night I have nothing to say."

"Then just listen." He indicated the ground in front of her bedroll. "May I?" She nodded and he sat cross legged before her. Kimberly sat on her bedroll, knees curled together underneath her robes.

"Did I ever tell you about my time on Seheron?"

"You met Fog Warriors," she responded indicating that she remembered the story.

"And when Danarius came for me, I slew them all." Kimberly nodded and he continued. "I did not want to do it, but I was compelled. Once a slave, always a slave. Well, until you." He smiled slightly at her and she smiled back. "They were my friends. They had taken me in as part of their tribe. They did not care about my powers or the tattoos on my skin. They taught me to hunt and to live simply. Yet when it came time to make a choice, I chose to kill them. They did not deserve it, but I did it anyway. I regretted it but it gave me the courage to change my path. To leave Danarius at last. To become a free man." He paused before continuing. "I could have let regret rule me or I could use it to fuel me to do something else. I chose the latter. It fueled my anger, which may not always be right, but it gave me a new direction. Nothing can change what we have done but we are free to change the future. I think the Maker gives us problems in order to show us a new path."

"So it's time to choose a new path?" Kimberly asked quietly looking down at her fidgety fingers.

Fenris gently put his finger beneath her chin and lifted her face to look at him. Her blue eyes were misty with unshed tears. "I would like it if you would choose a path with me."

She suddenly grabbed the elf in a fierce hug. "Of course I choose a path with you! I'm just having a hard time letting go of the old one."

He wrapped his arms around her and hugged her back. "Think of it as footprints in the sand, and the tide is coming in. You have walked a long path throughout Kirkwall and those footsteps are going to be washed away by the sea. Forward is the only way you can go now, away from the rising tide. To go backwards would be dangerous. Go forwards with me." He closed his eyes and held her tighter, saying a word he had never used before. "Please."

When she let go of him, tears still dampened her face. She leaned forward and kissed him. "Yes."


	5. Chapter 5 - Perfect Strangers

"Come quickly Hawke, there's a battle!" shouted Merrill as she ran up the hill.

"Slow down, what battle?" Then she heard the chanting of magic spells, the roar of demons and the clanking of swords. "Great. And the boys are off hunting."

"What should we do? It's mages and templars."

"And just the two of us." Rexen whined. "OK, the three of us."

"We could hide." Merrill looked nervous.

"Whoever wins will find us anyway. Besides, when have we ever turned away from a fight?" Kimberly set down her makeshift basket of nuts. They snuck down the hill quietly, watching to see how the battle was going. There were four templars left, two mages, an abomination and three shades. "Maker, I wish Fenris and Varric were here."

She ordered the dog to stay out of the fight then she turned to Merrill. "We'll stay hidden as much as we can. See if you can take down some of those shades. I'll focus on the templars."

Kimberly readied a fireball from her hidden location and centered it on the templars, followed closely by a firestorm. Merrill slit her wrist and began casting. Did Merrill always have to turn to blood magic? No time to worry about that as Kimberly cast a series of spells, focusing on one templar at a time. With the circle mages' help, the templars fell quickly. Merrill had taken down the shades, which only left the abomination. It would have to die too. The two remaining mages looked confused and they didn't fight the abomination. The abomination had now determined Kimberly and Merrill's hiding location and quickly approached them.

"Back up the hill!" Kimberly hissed to Merrill and the two women backed slowly up the hill, trying to put distance between them and the abomination. They hit it over and over again with their spells, but it kept coming. Rexen had joined the fight, but his bites were barely making a mark. Surely this thing had to die soon? That's when she heard the cry of fury and saw a shower of arrows surround them. The boys were back and just in time. Fenris charged the abomination and took it down in one swing. He turned then on the two remaining mages, who were huddled together. "Blood magic! You will die for this."

"Please, Serrah, we aren't blood mages! Only Danne was a blood mage. We are simply trying to escape Kirkwall!"

Fenris' tattoos were glowing as he approached the two mages. Kimberly ran down the hill quickly placing herself between Fenris and the mages. "Wait, Fenris, let's hear them out."

Fenris snarled and he didn't lower his sword, but his tattoos dimmed. "Speak quickly."

The same mage spoke up. "We were hiding in some caves along the Wounded Coast, but there were templars searching the caves. There was a whole group of us then. We snuck out last night and decided to head for the hills. The templars caught up with us just south of here. We've lost so many of our people."

"This has all been a terrible waste. Many thought mages could work with the templars, but then _that mage_ blew up the Chantry and we are all suffering for it," added the second mage with contempt.

"_That mage_ has paid for his crimes. He is dead," replied Kimberly. The words sounded odd coming from her mouth. Speaking so remotely about the incident helped to put Anders' death into perspective.

"How do you know?"

"Because I was there."

"Are you the Champion of Kirkwall?" asked the first mage with a hint of fascination in his voice.

"How many more of you are coming?" growled Fenris, his sword still not wavering.

"None," replied the second mage. "We're the last of our group. Weren't you listening?"

Kimberly put her hand on Fenris' arm. "Lower your sword, Fenris. Please."

He cursed in Qunlat but did as she asked. He didn't put the blade away, but rather kept a full grip on the hilt.

"What are your names?" Kimberly asked.

The first mage spoke up. "I'm William and this is Henric."

"Henric? That sounds Orlesian. Are you from Orlais?"

"My parents were but I'm from Kirkwall. I've been in the Chantry since I was six. I never picked up the accent, if that is what you are inquiring about." Everything Henric said was spoken with disdain. "If you aren't going to kill us, then we would like to be on our way."

"Where are you going?"

"The Tevinter Imperium, where mages can be free."

"You are prepared to own slaves then," Fenris spat.

Henric glared at the elf. "I wouldn't mind."

"No, no, no," interrupted William. "We just want to be free. We'll go anywhere - Antiva, Nevarra - just to be away from the Free Marches. To be away from the Circle."

"Have you any provisions? Have you eaten lately?" asked Kimberly.

"Just berries and plants. I know a bit of herbalism."

"Perhaps you would care to join us for dinner."

"Hawke… a moment?" Fenris interrupted.

William gasped. "Hawke? Then you ARE the Champion! We are honored to meet you." He gave a deep bow. Henric remained impassive and silent.

"Thank you. If you would, I need a moment with my friends."

Varric, Merrill, Fenris and Kimberly walked out of earshot of the mages. Fenris never turned his back on them, but he did sheathe his sword.

Fenris spoke first. "Why did you offer them food? We have little enough as it is."

"Did you catch a deer today?"

"Yes."

"Then we have plenty of food. Come now, it's the right thing to do."

"We are going to have to move on anyway, Hawke. Those templars have friends back in Kirkwall and eventually they will come looking for them," Varric added, indicating the dead bodies.

"Do you intend to offer them shelter too?" Fenris queried.

"I think we should," commented Merrill. "I think they are harmless. They don't act like blood mages."

"You should know."

"I do know in my heart. I can take them to Nevarra. I was thinking of going there anyway."

"Merill, we don't want to lose you," pleaded Kimberly.

"Then let us travel with them for a time. You'll see they are trustworthy. When the time comes, we'll know."

"Mages are not trustworthy," commented Fenris.

Kimberly whirled on him. "I'm a mage. Am I untrustworthy?"

"You're different."

"Hold up, no fighting you two," interrupted Varric. "Look Hawke, it's up to you. Feed them, shelter them, or send them on their way. We fought for mage freedom and here it is right in our faces. I could care less about mages and templars, but feeding these two does seem like the right thing to do. We can't eat all that venison ourselves and we can't take it with us. Sharing a little food won't hurt us."

"Right. Food and shelter it is then." Kimberly turned to each of her companions in turn, issuing orders. "Merrill, will you run back up the hill and pick up the nuts I was gathering? Varric and Fenris, please escort our guests back to the cave. I want to check the templar corpses. I need to make sure that Carver isn't among them," the last was said with a catch in her voice.

Kimberly returned to the mages. "We will offer you food and shelter for the evening. Any other decisions can be made in the morning."

Henric glared at her. "What if we don't want your hospitality?"

"Oh Henric, don't be disrespectful. This is the Champion and she saved us from the Right of Annulment. We would be honored to dine with you, Champion."

"Then follow my friends," indicating Varric and Fenris, "and I will catch up with you shortly."


	6. Chapter 6 - Blood Magic

William was chatty all through the afternoon and dinner. He explained that he was a healer mage, and that Henric was a force mage. William was another Ferelden refugee, having come over with a group of templars during the Blight. He wanted to go back to Ferelden but he wasn't sure if he would be welcome in the Circle - in any Circle. He also had no way of getting there. The boy conversed freely about himself, and Kimberly noticed there was no guile in his voice. His light blue eyes sparkled when he spoke. He took off his cowl out of respect to eat dinner, and she noticed his wispy blond hair was cropped short. In contrast, Henric was darker in both complexion and looks. His dark brown eyes scanned the room, assessing each of us in turn. Hints of dark curls peaked out from under his cowl, which he did not remove, no doubt as a sign of disrespect. He was silent and wary of us, obviously eager to be on his way.

William asked Kimberly about defeating the Arishok and becoming the Champion of Kirkwall. She deferred him by saying that it was late and they would need to leave early so they should get some sleep. William was obviously disappointed. He curled up near the wall closest to the cave entrance and Henric sat next to him, clearly not ready for sleep. Merrill and Kimberly started packing some things so they wouldn't have to worry about them in the morning. Fenris sat leaning against the wall, closest to the fire. He had a direct view of the two mages. It almost seemed as if Henric and Fenris were going to have a staring contest all night.

When she awoke in the morning, she saw that Fenris and the mage Henric had indeed had a staring contest all night. Kimberly was tempted to ask Fenris if he had slept, but she knew the answer already. He once told her he didn't sleep much because slaves never sleep unless allowed to. She vowed that someday she would break these bad habits that had a hold on him. He was free, and someday he would understand what that meant.

They all broke their fast with leftover venison and some berries. They were saving the nuts as trail rations since climbing through the hills was going to take a lot of energy. They had run out of bread days ago and Kimberly wondered how close the nearest town was. They were going to have to get over the mountains and across land to find a town. It was going to be a long walk.

As breakfast was winding down, Kimberly spoke up. "Since we all seem to be going the same direction, we might as well travel together." She didn't even need to look at Fenris to know he disapproved. Varric shrugged.

"Oh, that's a wonderful idea, Hawke!" exclaimed Merrill. "It is so good to have new people to talk to!"

William seemed to mirror her excitement. "Maybe the Champion will tell us some stories along the road."

"I'm not good at stories. If you want a good story, ask Varric."

"Is this true, Master Dwarf? Are you a storyteller?"

Varric nodded with more than a little pride showing. "And my favorite stories involve Hawke."

It was mid-morning by the time they picked up everything and tried to erase their trail. Fenris was anxious to travel, although he maintained a calm, aloof exterior. He simply stood by the exit of the cave watching for templars coming up the hill. Once everyone had exited, he said, "In the future, we should pack more quickly. We waste daylight."

Merrill led the way and Kimberly followed her, trying to keep up, as they picked their way through the mountains. Merrill was used to traveling strange terrain so it made sense to make her leader. Behind them, Varric and William walked, with the dwarf telling the story of how the Champion beat the Arishok in single combat. Of course, he had to explain all of the events with the Quanari that led up to the combat, and Varric managed to make the story last all day and into the evening when they camped for the night. They had a meager dinner composed of some small rodents that Kimberly wasn't familiar with but Merrill had come across before.

Varric and William were still talking. The mage turned to her and asked, "Is everything the dwarf says true, Champion?"

"More or less. Varric has colorful descriptions."

Varric grinned. "You love it, Hawke."

Kimberly smiled back at the dwarf. She loved him like a brother. He had always stuck by her through the rough spots. She turned and looked at Merrill and Fenris. Come to think of it, they had too. She was glad her friends had come with her. She looked at the two new mages they had picked up in Sundermount. William seemed to have developed a case of hero worship. Henric was as silent tonight as he had been all day. If Fenris bothered him, he didn't show it. Kimberly decided to try to talk to Henric.

"So Henric, tell me about Force magic. I've only dabbled in it."

"What's there to tell?"

"Why did you decide to specialize in it?"

Henric shrugged. "It invokes the power of Thedas. You can make creatures or people move on your whim. It's powerful."

"So is blood magic."

"Blood magic is for the weak. It requires the help of demons to accomplish its task."

"Blood magic is not for the weak!" exclaimed Merrill. "Sometimes a mage needs a little assistance from a spirit. Most of them are quite benign."

Henric scoffed at her. "Are you a blood mage?"

Merrill looked away, her eyes becoming glassy as if she were going to cry.

He turned to Fenris. "And you. You stare at us and wonder when we will turn to blood magic when you harbor one of your own. You're a hypocrite!"

Fenris growled. "I have known her for six years. I have barely known you six hours. But I distrust her as well. All magic is evil."

"Yet you keep company with mages. What about the Champion? She's a mage."

"She is _different_."

Henric looked from Fenris to Kimberly and back to Fenris. He smiled slyly. "Oh, I see."

"See what, _mage_?" Fenris sneered.

"It's different when you're bedding one."

Fenris stood up and walked over to Henric. He grabbed him by the robes and lifted him into the air. "Apologize to Hawke."

Kimberly stood up and walked over to Fenris. She laid a hand on his arm. "Let him go, Fenris."

"Not until he apologizes." Rexen started to bark, growling and snapping at the mage that Fenris held.

"Why should I apologize? It's obvious from your reaction that I speak the truth."

William was gawking at the scene, when suddenly he spoke. "Henric, just apologize. You've offended a lady. You should know better." He turned to Kimberly. "Really, he doesn't mean any harm. He just gets a little presumptuous sometimes."

Henric goaded Fenris. "Go ahead and do it elf. I dare you. But what will your lover think?"

"Fenris, _please_." Fenris lowered the mage, dropping him about a foot above the ground. Henric stumbled but did not fall.

Henric straightened his robes and turned to Kimberly. "My apologies if I have offended you." She acknowledged his apology with a nod.

"Perhaps it's time we all got some sleep," Kimberly put forth.

"I need a walk," said Merrill, standing up.

"I'll go with you," offered William.

"Thank you, but no. I would like to be alone." She wandered off into the darkness.

Despite Kimberly's suggestion, no one went to sleep right away. The camp was silent except for the sound of Fenris sharpening his blade. Varric oiled Bianca, but that was a quiet endeavor.

Kimberly waited up for Merrill to return, but the elf didn't want to talk. She simply shook her head and then curled up next to the fire. William had already gone to sleep and Varric was preparing his bed as well. Fenris and Henric prepared for another stare down, until Henric spoke.

"I won't waste another night watching you. If you want to kill me in my sleep, you will." Henric lay down on the ground and turned away from the fire.

x~~~x

**AN: Thank you to everyone who has read/followed/favorited/reviewed this story. I really appreciate it!**

**Also, unless I can find a way around it, this story is going to have to move to the M category. Just FYI.**


	7. Chapter 7 - Privacy

**AN: There's been a rating change from T to M. You are hereby warned. **

X~~~~X

"So you're a Dalish elf?" asked William.

"Yes," replied Merrill. "We are wanderers by nature."

"Don't the Dalish live in clans?"

"Yes. The clan is a group of elven families that live and roam together. We stay away from Shems except for trade."

"What's a Shem?"

"Oh, it's what we call humans - shemlen. It means 'quick children' because you humans live such short lives compared to the elves - or at least to our ancestors. The old stories say we used to be immortal, but over time that changed."

"Interesting. So where's your clan?"

"My clan is gone. No, I don't know where they went. I'm not going to look for them because they don't want me anymore. It's a long story and I'd rather not tell it. Oh look, some blackberries!"

Merrill dove into the prickly bushes, picking and eating the berries. Splotches of purple berry covered her lips. William followed suit with just as much enthusiasm. He turned to look at the elf and realized how beautiful she was - lithe and small, short black hair and beautiful tattoos, with emerald eyes that he could dive into and never leave. She was cute and charming in an innocent way and yet wiser than anyone he had met his own age. He didn't even know how old she was. He was only a few years past his Harrowing. How long did elves live anyway?

The spell was broken when she called out to the others. "Hawke! Blackberries!"

"Prickly bushes, you mean," replied the woman with black hair and blue eyes as she stomped through the underbrush towards them. William could see why Fenris loved Hawke. She was brave and smart and beautiful in her own way. She also had a quick and sharp wit. He couldn't understand Fenris though. He wouldn't talk about his tattoos but he said he wasn't Dalish. He wouldn't talk to William hardly at all, or any of them. He spoke to Varric and Hawke, but only a few words usually. He ignored everyone else.

"Daisy, will you pick me some berries? Bianca and I are going to stay on the path and watch for trouble." William was curious about the dwarf too. He'd never met a dwarf before, but he'd heard they all had beards. Except this one didn't. He was a great storyteller, the tales about the Arishok were amazing to listen to but he did wonder if Varric embellished the tales he put forth. And he named his crossbow. Who names a weapon?

It had been four days since they left Sundermount. It was getting colder up in the mountains but not quite cold enough for a cloak. The passage was rocky and the paths were scattered. Sometimes they were diverted following only animal trails. Meals were often scant, based on what they could find to eat. Berries became a treat, although sometimes nuts were found on the trees. There was a quiet tension that ran through the group. They had been attacked by giant spiders and other creatures, but easily dispatched them all. Fenris was relieved that none of the mages resorted to blood magic, even Merrill.

One evening, after dinner, Merrill and William were chattering along - a habit they had picked up. Each of them liked to talk, even ramble, and sometimes they spoke overtop one another but they didn't seem to mind. Henric kept to himself and Varric played Solitaire.

Fenris touched Kimberly's arm and asked, "May I speak with you? Alone?" She nodded and they left the camp. After they had gone far out of earshot, Fenris pulled Kimberly behind a tree. "What are you doing, Fenris?" He pushed her against the tree and stepped in close so that they were touching chest to chest.

Fenris brushed her overgrown bangs aside. "I have not had a moment alone with you since we left Kirkwall. I… miss your touch."

Kimberly giggled. "You went three years without my touch and now you can't stand more than two weeks?"

Fenris frowned. "I told you I was a fool then. Why do you bring it up now?"

The mage smiled and gently caressed Fenris' cheek. "I don't know what I am going to do with you."

"Whatever you wish. I am yours." Fenris leaned down and kissed Kimberly full on the mouth. She wrapped her arms around him tightly, running her fingers through his hair with one hand, holding him to her with the other. His armor bit into her as they clung together but she didn't care. The only thing that mattered was this stolen moment of passion.

Fenris continued raining kisses down her neck. Kimberly closed her eyes and tilted her head back. Fenris began to untie her robes.

"What are you doing?" Kimberly gasped. "Fenris, we can't… we aren't that far from camp… and oh…" He had bent down and began to suckle one breast, while gently cupping the other. She ran her fingers through his hair pulling him tighter to her. Instead, his hands and his mouth wandered further down her body. Kneeling before her, he looked up. She was like a goddess, bathed in the waning moonlight. He ran his fingers over her belly and down her legs. She was trembling from his touch.

"You are so beautiful. Like a rare jewel. No, that is not true. No jewel could compare to you." He continued teasing her, caressing her most sensitive spots, and she moaned, biting her lip to keep the sound from becoming too loud.

"But… but… what if an animal comes?"

"I still have my sword."

"But you won't have your armor." Kimberly dropped abruptly to her knees and began grabbing at the straps that held Fenris' armor on. She groped and tugged on one side while he undid the other. Finally, his armor was off and she was lying on the ground, her robes pooled out behind her like a blanket. Fenris raised himself above her, and stared down at the beauty lying before him. "Touch me," he rasped.

She did as he bid, running her hands along his chest, up and down his arms and over his back. He let out a sound like a hiss. It was always like this for him. Pain mixed with pleasure. Her heart nearly broke each time they made love, imagining what torture he must endure. She watched his tattoos shimmer in the moonlight. "My beautiful elf." She pulled him towards her and kissed him deeply.

Their lovemaking was both slow and fast. Slow because they relished each other's company, but they knew they had to hurry before the others got suspicious. Kimberly let out a small squeal of pleasure and Fenris groaned as they climaxed together as one. They had yet to part when a familiar voice rang out.

"Hawke? Fenris? Are you out here somewhere? Varric is trying to teach William how to play Diamondback and we wondered if you wanted to join the game. Hawke?"

Kimberly stifled a giggle, and put her finger to Fenris' lips. "Go back to the game, Merrill. We'll be there soon."

"Fenris? Are you out here too?"

He removed Kimberly's finger and kissed it. "I am here."

"Oh, OH! Oh, I'm so sorry! Varric told me not to come. Oh dear. I'm sorry!" They heard the scrambling of footsteps as Merrill scurried away.

Kimberly laughed. "So much for privacy."

"Do you think she will tell the others?"

"No, but she's probably 20 shades of red by now so they'll figure it out."

"I am sorry, Hawke. I did not mean to embarrass you."

"You never embarrass me." She looked into his eyes, but couldn't read them in the moonlight. "Come, let's go back. We'll play Diamondback just like nothing ever happened."

Fenris grabbed her wrist. "But it did."

"I know that, and you know that, and now Merrill knows that, but we can all pretend, can't we?"

"I do not pretend how I feel about you."

"And I do not pretend how I feel about you. But we can go back to the camp and pretend we didn't just have sex!"

"Why should we? Unless you are embarrassed by me."

"I am NOT embarrassed by you! For the Maker's sake, will you just get dressed?"

They put Fenris' armor back on and rearranged Kimberly's robes so that they looked presentable again. She tried to brush all the grass off the back of her robes but figured it was a hopeless cause. She took Fenris' hand and led them back towards the campsite. Just before they reached it, she stood on her tip toes and kissed him. "There. No more embarrassment, OK?"

Fenris gave her a sly smile and they went on to play Diamondback for the rest of the evening.

X~~~~X

**AN (continued): And now you know why. ;-)**


	8. Chapter 8 - Henric

"Come on Henric! Play Diamondback with us!" pleaded William. "Even the dog plays!"

Rexen barked and wagged his tail.

Henric glared at William and shook his head. William had become part of their little group of card players. He didn't want to be part of their group. Henric remembered what it was like to be a part of a group. Before Meridith. Before Alrik. Before the Blight. Henric banged his head against the cave wall behind him. The pain felt good. Better a headache than a heartache. But the heartache never went away. He closed his eyes and she was there before him. Talia. His Talia. Before.

He and Talia had grown up in the Circle together. When they met, she stole his apple. He chased her through the hallways, watching as she dodged and weaved among the other apprentices, her long auburn hair flowing behind her. She was ten and he was twelve. He'd been in the Circle for six years already, studying, learning, playing with other boys. But Talia was different. She was the first girl he ever looked at, and that was because she took his apple. At least, that's what he told himself. When he finally caught her, she was hiding behind a Templar that was standing tall and firm with his arms crossed.

"This is the boy who's been chasing me, Ser Reorgen." Her bottom lip jutted out into a pout.

"She stole my apple!"

"This apple?" she held it out, peeking around the templar. It had one giant bite taken from it.

"Give me that!" Henric cried as he reached for the fruit.

Ser Reorgen put his hand in front of Talia protectively. "Enough of apprentices running wild in the dormitories. Did you not eat enough at dinner, boy?"

He swallowed. "I was saving that for bedtime. I get hungry at night sometimes."

The templar frowned at him. He turned to the girl hiding behind him. "And you, young lady, did you steal his apple?"

"It's my apple. I found it fair and square."

Ser Reorgen turned back to Henric. "Did you leave it unattended?"

Henric fidgeted. "It was only for a second!"

"I see." The templar turned to the young girl who looked up at him with big, imploring blue eyes. "Well, we have a dilemma then, don't we? You both claim ownership of this apple. It is in her hand and there is a large bite removed. Therefore, to all appearances, it is her apple. Even if we presume for a moment that it _was_ your apple, do you really want it back now?"

Frowning, he replied, "I suppose not, Ser."

"Now can the two of you shake hands and be friends? Apprentices should not be running through the dormitories. Next time you feel you need for an extra apple, make sure you keep track of it."

Ser Reorgen walked away from the children muttering about babysitting.

"Do you want it back?" The girl offered the now browning piece of fruit.

He shook his head. "No, it's ruined now."

"I'm sorry. I was only trying to have a bit of fun." She turned her blue gaze to him and something inside him clicked. He knew they would be friends for life.

Talia ran the group. Henric, Talia, Bryant, and Marshall were 'the group'. The boys all had a crush on Talia as she dragged them through all sorts of trouble but she never got caught. She was always smarter than the rest of them combined, or so it seemed. They played all sorts of gags on templars; Talia would distract a particular templar, and the others would sneak around behind him. They did some of their best tricks by this method. They snuck into the room of antiquities. They snuck into many a mage's quarters and rearranged their things. One time, they even snuck into Senior Enchanter Belinda's room and stole her hairbrush.

As they got older, the group slowly fell apart. Bryant was the first to leave. He became engrossed in his studies. He became very religious, and was an intermediary between the Grand Cleric and the First Enchanter. There was some rumor that he wanted to convert to the Chantry, but mages are not allowed to become anything more than they are: mages. Marshall transferred to the Ferelden Circle and was later killed during the blood magic infestation that occurred at the same time as the Blight.

Henric passed his Harrowing first. The night he passed it, Talia snuck into his new quarters.

"Tell me what it was like, Henric."

"I can't. You know that."

"Please?"

"Talia, ask me anything, anything at all, and I'll do it. But don't ask me about the Harrowing."

She looked into his deep brown eyes. "Anything?"

"Anything - except the Harrowing."

The familiar mischievous smile came across her face. "So… if I were to ask you to kiss me…"

He didn't hesitate. He didn't wait for her to finish talking. He was rough and unpracticed, but he grabbed her and kissed her hard. When he went to pull back, thinking he had gone too far, she wrapped her arms around him and held him tight. It was their first kiss, but not their last. He was twenty and she was eighteen. They were apart during the days, but nights they met in his quarters, and eventually became lovers. They were careful, Talia knew how to be careful, and when she passed her own Harrowing a year later, it was even easier to sneak away. Henric turned down an offer to go to the Circle in Orlais, even though it meant a promotion to full Enchanter. He had no interest in politics or policies. Only two things interested him: magic and Talia.

Then came the Blight and Ferelden refugees poured into Kirkwall. Ser Alrik came with them. That's when the Rites of Tranquility started. Some of the mages spoke out against the rite, because mages were being taken for the rite when they had already passed their Harrowing. Talia was always so careful. But she spoke too loud, adding her voice to the others who complained. Henric knew there was something wrong the first night she didn't come to his quarters. He searched for her the next day. Then came a second lonely night. He searched again and found her in the library.

"Talia! Oh thank the Maker, I was so worried about you!" He turned her around and saw the star shaped brand on her forehead. He touched it with his finger. It didn't come off. It was a brand. A brand that robbed him of the only thing he ever loved. Henric shook her. "Talia, can you hear me?"

"Yes, Mage Henric, I can hear you." Her voice was monotone, even when she asked, "Is there a book I can help you find?"

He backed away from her then as if her touch would brand him too. He was shocked. He was furious. He stormed into First Enchanter Orsino's office, which was open and unoccupied except for the First Enchanter himself.

Henric slammed the door behind him.

Orsino looked up. "What the…?"

"How can you allow this to happen?"

"Excuse me, Mage Henric, but what are you talking about?"

"This tranquil situation. Full mages are being taken and made Tranquil! Good mages! How can you allow it?"

"I'm not allowing anything. I don't know who is behind it. If I did, I would put a stop to it immediately. I've made inquiries…"

"Inquiries? Is that all?" shouted Henric.

"Please lower your voice. Unless you wish to be made Tranquil too. It is the outspoken ones…"

"Yes."

"Yes, what?"

Henric put his foot down and lifted his chin. "Make me Tranquil."

"You can't mean that!"

"Oh, but I do. You see, the latest mage to be made Tranquil was a beautiful young woman by the name of Talia. I love… loved Talia. She is… was… everything to me. Now she is gone. I want to be gone too."

Orisino stared at the young man for a long time. Love was frowned upon in the Circle. Any misbegotten children were given to the Chantry for care. Certainly there were mages who loved, some even escaped to become apostates. Run far enough and fast enough and you might be free. He watched the young man who stormed into his office in such anger break down slowly over the minutes. The man gasped as if he had never breathed, fell back against the door, and slid to his knees. Tears streamed down his face.

"I beg you. Take away this pain. Make me Tranquil. If there is a Maker above, make me Tranquil."


	9. Chapter 9 - Spells

Five bears. Five hungry bears. Not quite one for each of them, but plenty to keep them busy for a few minutes. Henric tried to slow a couple of them, but the bears kept coming. Kimberly laid down a fireball, followed by firestorm - her favorite combination. Four of them surrounded Fenris, who performed a whirlwind attack knocking them back, but they advanced on him anyway. Suddenly, Henric slammed his staff into the ground and Fenris felt the ground around him tremble. The bears were thrown back. Fenris looked around confused, then noticed two of the bears were headed directly towards Kimberly.

She blasted them back with her mind, and Fenris charged one of them, slicing it with a mighty blow and killing the bear. The other one had been frozen solid by a spell and he hacked at that one as well, watching as it fell to his blade. The bears were well and truly scattered now and he had to chase them around the battlefield. Varric took down a bear with an arrow to the eye, and the mages cast their way through the rest of them.

After the battle was over, Fenris stomped his way over to Henric and demanded, "What did you do?"

Henric looked perplexed. "I fought the bears with you."

"No. While I stood there, the ground shifted and all the beasts were flung away from me."

"So?"

"Don't ever do that to me again. If you want to blast them away from Hawke or someone else, then that is your prerogative. Do not ever presume that I want the enemy projected away from me. My job is to call enemies to me so that I might slice them to pieces and keep them away from Hawke."

Kimberly interrupted. "Fenris, why are you so upset?"

He wheeled on her. "Because you could have been hurt!"

"I'm not that easy to take down. You know that. Don't take your anger out on Henric."

Fenris put his sword back in its sheath. "I do not like magic."

Henric snorted. "We noticed. While we are on the subject of whose job is whose, suppose you tell us Fenris what our roles are?"

"I do not care what your roles are so long as Hawke remains alive. She will heal me. Do not interfere with mine."

Varric leaned towards Merrill. "This is getting absurd." To the rest of the party, he called out, "Hey, who wants bear for dinner?"

Fenris stalked off towards the woods and Kimberly ran to catch up with him. "What's the matter, Fenris?"

"I wish to be alone."

"Oh." She stopped walking along side him and watched as he strode away.

-

Kimberly tried to patch things up with Henric. She explained how they normally worked as a team. Henric actually opened up to her a little bit about how his magic worked, and they devised a strategy for utilizing it. Slowing creatures was a good tactic and even gravitating them together for her to fireball would work nicely as well. She requested that he stay away from the pushing spell, and he reluctantly agreed. This was the longest conversation that Kimberly had ever had with Henric and actually found it to be quite enjoyable. He liked to talk about magic, but as soon as she asked about the Circle, he stopped talking. Taking that as her cue, she abandoned the conversation.

Kimberly found Varric slicing the bear meat into very thin slices. "What are you doing, Varric?"

"Making bear jerky. Should have done this with the venison but that was a tense day."

"Need any help?"

"Sure. Those two certainly aren't making much progress." He nodded his head towards Merrill and William who were chatting like a couple of school girls.

"What could they possibly have to talk about all of the time? They come from two different worlds."

"Maybe that's what they talk about. Now, watch me."

Kimberly watched as Varric ran his knife through the meat, making very thin slices. Then he laid the strips out to dry on a rock. He reached inside his coat and pulled out a small bag. Opening it, he grabbed some of what was inside and sprinkled it on the meat. "Salt," he replied to her silent question.

"Are you sure you want to use up all your salt on jerky?"

"Oh believe me, Hawke, I have no intention of using up all my salt."

They spent most of the afternoon slicing up bear for the road.

-

Fenris returned just as everyone was finishing their meal. His bear steak was being kept warm by the fire but was no longer medium-rare, which is how he normally liked them. Merrill had found some root vegetables and they were roasting on the fire as well. Kimberly watched Fenris eat. He pulled out a dagger and hacked into the steak, tearing it to pieces.

"Why are you watching me?"

_Because I love you and I'm worried about you._ Kimberly stared down at her hands. "Just wondering if you are all right."

"I am fine."

"OK." She fidgeted with her fingers. "Diamondback tonight?"

"I have to sharpen my blade."

"Right. Well, if you change your mind, you are always welcome."

Kimberly got up and joined the others, leaving Fenris alone to his meal.

-

How was she ever going to get Henric and Fenris to be civil to one another? At least Fenris and Anders had tolerated one another, enough to play the occasional card game. But Henric would not join them. He always sat on his own, watching, or sleeping or drawing runes in the dirt. One day she found him outside sitting on rock with a stick in his hand.

"What are you doing, drawing in the dirt?"

Henric looked up at her, cocked his head to the side and said simply, "creating new spells."

This took her aback. "I never thought about creating a new spell."

"Why not?"

"Why do I need one? I have plenty in my arsenal."

"Call it intellectual curiosity. Maybe I can create one to make your boyfriend less grumpy."

Instantly Kimberly was on guard. "Leave Fenris out of this," she warned.

"Oh he's not worth my time."

Henric continued to create runes in the dirt. He looked puzzled, wiped a way a cipher, then started over.

"What if you create a spell and it doesn't do what it is supposed to do?"

"Don't worry your pretty little head. I won't use them around you. I'm just creating them for the day that I am truly free."

"And when will that be?"

"Once I've reached the Tevinter Imperium."

Kimberly shook her head. "You don't want to go there."

"Why not?"

"It's all politics and slavery."

Henric shrugged. "Politics and slavery are everywhere."

"Not like the Imperium."

"How do you know so much about the Imperium?"

"I've heard stories."

Henric studied her face. He was gauging her. "Are these stories from your elven lover?"

"No," she lied. "I used to know a pirate. She told lots of stories."

"Interesting."

Trying to change the subject, she asked, "So what will these spells do?"

"I think this will be a glyph of stone. A combination of petrify and glyph of paralysis."

"Why do you need it? We already have the other two spells."

"Yes, but this will be more powerful. It's power comes from Thedas itself. It will be a force spell. No need for the other schools. You see, the ground itself will rise up and engulf the target, freezing it into its position. The only downside is that the target will take less damage while encompassed by the spell. It could be used with a permanency spell to create a living statue, however."

"I see." Kimberly recognized the genius in his plan but worried a bit about his ethics.

"I don't hate you, you know. I don't even hate your elf. My only hate is for templars."

This time it was her turn to gauge him. "What did they do to you?"

Henric was silent for a long time. "To me? Nothing. What did they take from me? Everything." He stood up suddenly. "I need to go now. It was interesting speaking with you." He walked away leaving Kimberly confused.

She looked down at the pattern in the dirt. A living statue - that could be a nightmare. She stood up and brushed dirt over the glyph with her boot, erasing it from the world.

X~~~~X

**AN: I will be moving this week and so I don't know when I will be posting again. It may be in a week or it may be two, but I will post again. (Even if I have to go to Starbucks to do it.) Promise!**


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